Freezing tray with ice release



Feb. 1, 1944. L, MALLARD I 2,340,675- 'FREEZING TRAY WITH IQE RELEASE Filed Dec. 4, 1941 FiGJ.

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Patented Feb. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PAT-E NT oFFrcE rnsszmo TRAY'WITH ICE RELEASE Logan L. Mallard, Norfolk, Va. Application December 4, isi nserial'No. 421,642

8 Claims. (01. 62-4'0815) This invention relates to refrigeration and more particularly to freezing trays for use in the evaporator or freezing unit of a domestic refrigerator.

An object of the invention is'to provide a tray of the type specified having rounded or circular freezing compartments and improved means coacting therewith for dislodging frozen or congealed matter from said compartments.

Another object is to provide a tray for making ice cubes having a simplified form of ice dislodging means operatively associated therewith but separable from the tray'to adapt the latter for -making ice cubes and for ordinary baking or other purposes.

Due to the lack of certain metals, it has been found necessary incertain-instances to sell -re- ,frigerators without complete equipment, and another object of the present invention is to provide means rendering it possible to -improvise asatisfactory ice mold or tray from an ordinary baking pan having rounded or circular compartments, such as theconventional muffin or cupaction, after which the mechanism may be swung clear of the freezing compartments to permit free and unimpeded removal of the ice blocks or cubes.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will become apparent in view of the following description taken in .conjunction with the drawing, wherein: V

Fig. 1 is-a top plan view of a freezing tray and coacting ice-dislodging means constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section and side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isan elevation of the tray of Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating the iCe-diSlOdging means swinging clear of the tray and the latter inverted to drop out the ice blocks orcubes;

Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary viewrparticularly illustrating alever-hinging and mounting bracket forming part of the ice-dislodging means.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the tray comprises a frame l having therein parallel rows of rounded cup-shaped freezing compartments II. This tray resembles the conventional baking pan for making cup cakes, mufiins or the like, and in fact the ice-dislodging means to be described .is particularly adapted "for such type of pan. v p r The -ice-disloding means in the iror'm illustrat- 'ed comprises an actuator ba aving. cfiahiiectedthefefto or formed integr therewith fa, series of rigid downwardly 1p o'je ting prongs or fingers T3, the latter being fktende'd into the "freezing chambers to beehibedde'diinfthefic'e mass whe'n the latter is frozen. one -end b'fTthe .bar .is mounted for longitudinal sliding jmcveintent in 'a guide 14 lbdfitd atone end or the :ffafiie Ill. The bb lbdsiteend 6f the bar "I 2 lisfpiovided with a .pivotally C(ififitd bearing 15 hav- .ing an elongated slot 15' vi'l leiieifl to iecivelabih Ilia which isanchbieditbtlfie 'Qper'atingend Of a jlever :l'B, the latter being pivoted or hinged .to a

' bracket. [7. detachably estimates to the frame I0 .asb'est shown in Fig.4. The handle whenini fle position will fold down and nest on the bar [2 andprongs l3,note:Fig's.f1 and 2. 'Howev'ehwhen .the nation is raised and then retracted -to .a .point where it brings the-bar ([2 to its ektllme retracted position, the free end of. said bar clears the guide 11:, permitting the said bar to [swing "clear of the tray and-allow-the ice blocksin the freezing compartments II to ffallsorlbermoved from said compartments unimpeded said bar or lever, noteFig. 3. The elongated bearing slot .15" compensates for the arcua'tmthrow of the-operatinigend of the lever, resulting in a substantially linear or horizontaloperating movement ..of the bar l2.

In operation ass uningit is desired to use'the tray or pan 0 for .freezing ice cubes, the-bracket .17. og h witht e b r 1- and ver .5 maybe 'mounted on the tray-and the compartments vl ed w wa rsqr her fi idto he en- L A freezing takes ;place,,the downwardroje n p n Q ne stb c me emb dde a hci mass. When it is desired todislodge-thence,it is only necessary to raise the handle l,-Wh8 T;eu n t ng Bare m r da t ardlyso i ar the e t nd ca d nrFi ath i m I xerting a rotationalv thrust on the ice blocks in -the.,: r ez ns 'pc enart ntsli- 'Duet thar l t vely grea det -a e a brd d by, ,t eratin ,en t Il -v t 'l J g blink an rena iected t9 gns e .ab tome hn the k t i ac ated. w th m m o .manua fqrt. Wh n hesb -lr aeh s ,rst a t drpo it omi free end clears the guide l4, whereupon it may be swung back clear of the tray as in Fig. 3 to permit unimpeded fall by gravity or removal in any other manner of the ice blocks or cubes.

In the event it is desired to use the tray for ordinary baking purposes, the bracket I! may be readily removed along with the bar I2 and lever l6. Baking pans of the type herein shown are usually provided with holes in the opposite ends of the frame for hanging the pan from a nail or other suitable member, and these holes facilitate mounting of the bracket I1, as will be noted from Fig. 4. If desired, the guide M may be mounted in a similar manner.

It will be understood that certain minor changes in construction and design may be adopted without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tray for use in the freezing unit of a refrigerator comprising a frame having a series of spaced rounded freezing compartments therein, an actuator bar extending longitudinally of the tray between said compartments and having a. free end slidably connected to the frame and a lever pivotally connected to the opposite end thereof whereby when the lever is actuated the said bar is moved backwardly and forwardly along the frame, and a series of prongs rigidly connected to said bar and projecting downwardly into the freezing compartments to be embedded in the ice mass, said prongs being eccentrically located with respect to the axes of the said freezing compartments.

2. A freezing tray for use in the freezing unit of a domestic refrigerator, comprising a frame having rows of rounded freezing compartments formed therein, an actuator bar disposed on said frame between said rows of compartments, prongs rigidly connected to said bar at spaced points therealong and projecting downwardly into said compartments to be embedded in the ice mass during freezing of the latter, a guide for said bar connected to the one end of said frame, the one end of said bar slidably projecting through said guide, and a lever pivotally connected at its one end to the end of said frame opposite said bar guide, the opposite end of said bar being pivotally connected to said lever adjacent the pivoted end of the latter whereby when the lever is raised and lowered the bar is reciprocated-to in turn displace the ice blocks by rotating the latter in their compartments.

3. A tray for use as a freezing unit comprising aframe having a series of rounded cup-shaped compartments arrangedin spaced rows, an actuator bar having a series of downwardly projecting prongs rigidly secured at spaced points therealong to beembedded'in the ice mass in said compartments; said prongs being eccentrically located with respect to the axes of said compartments, a lever connected to said rod for actuating the latter, and means detachably mounting said rod and lever on said frame for ready separationfrom the latter to adapt the tray for other purposes.

I 4. A tray for use as a freezing unit comprising a frame providedwith a'series of rounded cups arranged in spaced substantially parallel rows,

having one end hinged to said bracket and adapted to fold down on said frame, the one end of said actuator bar being pivotally connected to the hinged end of the lever and the opposite end of said bar being mounted for free sliding movement in said guide.

5. Ice forming apparatus for use in the freezing unit of a refrigerator comprising a tray having a series of rounded freezing compartments therein, an actuator bar mounted on said tray adjacent said compartments and provided with a series of spaced rigid prongs projecting downwardly into said freezing compartments and eccentrically dis-- posed with respect to the axes of said compartments, a guide for said bar located adjacent one end of the bar and an actuating lever for said bar pivotally hinged to the tray adjacent the opan actuator bar having a series of downwardly projecting prongs rigidly secured at spaced points therealong to be embedded in the ice mass in said cups,a guide for said bar located at one end of said frame and a hinge bracket detachably secured in the opposite end of the frame, and a. lever posite end of said bar, said bar being pivotally connected to said lever adjacent the hinge point of the latter, said guide being so located as to permit the end of the bar to free itself from the guide when the bar is retracted and permit the bar and lever to be swung clear of the top of the tray.

6. Ice-forming apparatus for use in the freezing unit of a refrigerator comprising a tray having a series of freezing compartments therein, an operating lever hinged to said tray, an actuator bar having its one end pivotally connected to said lever adjacent the hinge point of the latter, a guide for the opposite end of said bar, and means connected to said bar and extending into said compartments to engage the ice mass in the latter, said guide and said bar being so constructed and arranged as to permit the bar to free itself from said guide when the bar is retracted to a predetermined position so that the bar and lever may be swung free of the tray and permit unimpeded removal of ice blocks from said compartments.

7. A tray for use in the freezing unit of a refrigerator comprising a frame having a series of spaced rounded freezing compartments therein, an actuator bar slidably mounted on said tray and extending longitudinally of the latter between said compartments, a guide member located adjacent one end of said bar, a hinge bracket located adjacent the opposite end of said bar, and an operating lever hinged to said bracket, said bar being provided with prongs at spaced points therealong projecting downwardly into said freezing compartments and located eccentrically with respect to the axes of the latter, the one end of said bar being slidably mounted in said guide and the opposite end of said bar being pivotally connected to said lever adjacent the hinge point of the latter, said lever being provided with an elongated bearing slotfor the pivotal connection of said bar tocompensate for arcuate movement of the leverand'permit substantially linear reciprocation of said bar.

8. A freezing tray for'use in the freezing unit of a domestic refrigerator comprising a muflin pan and ice-dislodging means including an actuator bar and an operating lever therefor detachably connected to said pan, said bar being provided with rigid prongs projecting downwardly into the mufiin compartments of the pan and eccentrically disposed with respect to theaxes of 

